Andre Agassi made a great escape on Monday, beating Andrei Pavel of Romania 6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 6-2 in the US Open first round to stay alive in the tournament and extend his illustrious career.
Agassi, who intends to retire after the US Open, lost the first-set tiebreak 7-4, rallied to win the second-set one 10-8 but quickly fell 4-0 down in the third to 75th-ranked Pavel, who had lost five of their six previous matches.
Yet Pavel, who had troubled Agassi with his backhand drives down the lines and delicate drop shots, suddenly looked spent and the American pounced to the roars of a record night crowd of 23,736.
Agassi ran off five straight games to force another tiebreak, which he won 8-6. He then sailed through the fourth set to book a second-round match against eighth-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, the Australian Open finalist who beat Germany's Alexander Waske 7-6, 7-6, 6-3.
"You guys have pulled me through so much in my life," Agassi told the crowd after the three-hour 31-minute match. "I really want to leave my best stuff on the court. I feel the pressure and the excitement of trying to bring the best out in myself.
"To come out there and get through a difficult one ... I'm very proud of this day and I'm glad it gets to happen again."
Pavel pushed Agassi all the way over the first three sets, relying on his versatile backhand and a spinning second serve that the American failed to cope with.
The Romanian had 15 backhand winners in the first three sets and 18 in the match, which produced 59 winners from Pavel and 67 by Agassi.
Pavel, 32, fought off two set points in the second-set tiebreak before two errors switched the momentum in Agassi's favour.
STOMACH CRAMPS
The Romanian then charged out to a 4-0 lead in the third set before Agassi stormed back. Pavel said later that he was bothered by stomach cramps and twice had to visit the bathroom.
"Maybe I made a few easy mistakes but always he came out with shots on the line or winners," Pavel said. "I was tired, running left to right. He still is one of the fittest guys on the court."
Pavel again played Agassi tough in the tiebreak, saving three set points from 6-3 down before the American finished it with an inside-out forehand service return winner to clinch it 8-6.
"It was pretty bleak there in the middle of that third set," said Agassi, whose fortunes turned around after he changed to more tightly strung rackets. "Those first three sets could've gone either way.
"He's such a talented player. I knew it would be a tough one today. I had to pick it up at the end and I'm glad I did."
Eight-times grand slam winner Agassi, appearing in his 21st successive US Open, said he was not satisfied just to get to round two.
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